Peanut Sauce from Uganda

14. May, 2009

I remember tasting a very similar sauce in Uganda one time. It was served with potatoes and barbecued goat and beef. It was after a long and wonderful day of safari so we were all pretty hungry when we returned back to our accommodation. I absolutely wiped my plate clean and ate so much of this sauce with the potatoes there was hardly any left for the others! Ground peanuts are widely used in Africa and are used in stews, sauces and more. I used peanut butter for convenience but you can grind your own peanuts if you prefer. Just make sure that if using peanut butter it is organic, without added sugar or salt.

This sauce is very rich so use sparingly. Halve the recipe if you think it might be too large although you can always freeze leftovers if you make too much.

This recipe is:

Peanut Sauce from Uganda

Ingredients

250 grams (8¾ oz) peanuts (without the skin and unsalted) or you can use organic peanut butter

500-750 millilitres (17-25¾ fluid oz) water (depending on how thick you want the sauce to be)

1 tomato, chopped coarsely

1 onion, chopped coarsely

½ teaspoon ground paprika

Pinch of salt (Himalaya or sea salt)

Pinch of pepper (black)

Preparation

Chop the tomato coarsely.

Peel the onion and chop coarsely.

If you are using peanuts instead of peanut butter, place the 250 grams peanuts in a food processor and blend for 1 minute. You might need to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add 2 tablespoons water and continue blending for a further 1 minute or until the consistency resembles peanut butter.

Place the tomato and onion in a large saucepan along with 500 millilitres (17 fluid oz) water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the ground peanuts or peanut butter to the saucepan and stir very well.

Heat well (but do not boil) and stir often.

Use a hand mixer to blend the sauce (or place in a food processor/blender) for a smooth and creamy consistency.

Add the ½ teaspoon ground paprika and a pinch of salt and pepper according to taste. The sauce should be a bit spicy with a slightly salty taste.

Add the remaining 250 millilitres water if needed (if the sauce is too thick). It is up to you how thick you serve it.

Serve piping hot.

Tips

I sometimes serve this sauce with vegetables, both cooked and raw to use as a dip.

The sauce freezes well.

I hate the taste of the peanut skin (it is slightly bitter) so I always buy peanuts which don't have the skin on. You can leave it on if you don't mind the taste.

Instead of the peanuts you can use the same amount of smooth (or crunchy if you prefer) organic peanut butter without added salt or sugar.